To create and share wireframes and prototypes of advanced, personalized smartphone apps, developers typically use a series of software tools. Some of the tools that have been tried and tested for wireframe creation have been highlighted here.
While designing custom mobile applications, it is of essence for professional developer companies to keep their clients in the loop. This is precisely where the importance of app wireframes, mockups and prototypes come into the picture. At different stages of the mobile application development process, these can be shared with clients, for approval, feedback, and further suggestions. If you are a mobile app developer, you should be familiar with these tools for preparing wireframes:
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JumpChart – A high-end application wireframing software, with both free and professional versions. JumpChart comes with additional data export features for WordPress portals as well. Making a detailed prototype of mobile applications is also easy, with this user-friendly tool.
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Pencil Project – As far as open-source mockup tools in the field of mobile app designing in India and overseas are concerned, this one is surely one of the finest. With Pencil Project, you can chalk up in-depth graphic-user interface (GUI) prototypes for the applications you are creating. It has impressive compatibility features with many desktop systems too.
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Mockingbird – Mockingbird is designed to serve as an end-to-end wireframing and mockup tool, for both mobile apps and web page applications. After creating wireframes, you can preview the same – and make the necessary corrections with ease. Sharing the Mockingbird wireframes with third-party clients is a quick and simple procedure as well.
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Indigo Studio – If you specialize in Android app development, you are probably already aware of this one. Indigo Studio helps professional developers to browse through more than a hundred interactive UI options and storyboards – and select the most appropriate one(s) among them. The latest version of Indigo Studio can also be used to create iPhone app prototypes.
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JustInMind Prototyper – Among the premium wireframing aides used at leading mobile application development companies, JustInMind features among the most popular ones. In addition to the regular controls for drawing up mockups and prototypes, this tool has responsive forms and gesture options for developers. Extensive support is also provided for the development of web apps.
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Tiggzi – For mobile application development on the cloud network, developers often rely on the Tiggzi software. The backend architecture and app designing support services of the tool are at par with the best. There are additional features for visual app development, providing greater scopes for customization.
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Axure RP – Although mainly regarded as a wireframing tool for HTML websites, Axure has earned rave reviews from iPhone app developers over the globe too. The high-clarity UI mockups of Android apps generated by the tool also rank well on the accuracy count. All wireframes and mockups created through Axure have a degree of interactiveness about them.
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Pidoco – If you are in a time-crunch to share collaborative app designs, sketches and other specs with clients, Pidoco can come to your help. With this software, you can perform real-time mobile app testing as well. It is a premium wireframing tool, but comes with a limited period free trial offer for first-time users.
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Wirify – Even the free software applications can provide seamless assistance to web and mobile app development – as Wirify clearly proves. The tool enables mobile app developers to transform web pages of their choice, to user-friendly wireframes, in seconds. The uncluttered, efficient dashboard of Wirify is yet another of its high points.
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AppCooker – If you wish to adopt a unified approach to the app development services, include AppCooker in the list of tools you regularly use. The app offers holistic assistance for transforming app concepts and ideas, to viable mockups. iPad apps can be created with AppCooker too. You would also get the option of adding links to your mockups.
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iMockups – The name might suggest that this tool is meant only for iPhone app mockups – but its functionality is much wider. Experts from many app development companies in the world have already used it to create wireframes for web applications. iOS, of course, remains the main platform for which iMockups is used.
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Mockups.me – From creating interactive sketches of app wireframes on tablets, to sharing them with your clients and/or other peer developers – this one proves to be handy at practically every stage. The tool has a robust data import capability, ensuring that you can access your Balsamiq files, from wherever you might be. Mockups.me is designed to help Android app developers, in particular.
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Adobe Proto – Just like most of the tools already mentioned in the list, Adobe Proto is also a classic prototyping and wireframing software for smartphone apps and mobile websites. The reliability factor of Adobe Proto, however, is superior than that of most of the other tools. Via Adobe Proto, you can engage in effective two-way communication with your peers too.
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HotGloo – Creativity and visual appeal play important roles in the long-run acceptance of mobile apps. The HotGloo tool is used by many developers to add that extra bit of elegance and style to the mockups. The interactive nature of app wireframes can also be bolstered, with the help of HotGloo. A collaborative procedure is adopted to create application prototypes through this popular software.
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WireframeSketcher – You can use the WireframeSketcher tool as a plugin with any operational Eclipse IDE system. Apart from multi-featured mobile apps and web apps, it is useful for propping up the wireframes of desktop apps as well. Mockups and final prototypes can, of course, also be developed with WireframeSketcher.
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Mockability – Experts from mobile application development companies harp on the importance of testing app mockups on proper iOS devices – and Mockability would allow you to do exactly that. The basic app ideas can be combined with images, designs and suitable features in the tool, to create captivating, interactive mockups for clients. Mockups created by using this tool can be shared by Dropbox too, apart from email.
Moqups and Antetype are two other wireframing tools that enjoy high levels of popularity among mobile app developers worldwide. For preparing flowchart-based Android applications, Lucidchart is a widely trusted tool. Creating efficient, insightful wireframes and mockups for mobile apps is not as tough as it is often made out to be. You only need to use some of the tools mentioned here!
Hussain Fakhruddin
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